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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. capital — a city
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bound — certain
  10. capital — money
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bore — to tire
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com